Homens na Educação Infantil: desafios e perspectivas de professores atuantes na rede municipal de um município do Triângulo Mineiro

Abstract

Linked to the Educational Knowledge and Practices Research Line of the Graduate Program in Education at the Federal University of Uberlândia and to the Education, Sexuality and Performativity Research Group, this research aimed to identify challenges and perspectives on the work of men, active in as regent teachers in Early Childhood Education, in a municipality located in the Triângulo Mineiro region. The exploratory research with a qualitative approach “guided” the study. The instruments for data generation were a questionnaire, with open and closed questions, and conducting semi-structured interviews. Three teachers participated in the study. As a result, the research showed that men who enter the school space for the education of young children are faced with challenges, obstacles, limits, and interdictions that need to be overcome. All participants stated that they experienced embarrassing and prejudiced situations in relation to hygiene and care for children's bodies, making the care and education of children constant causes of interdictions and attempts to reject them. That the challenges experienced by these subjects are the same as those found in research carried out over 30 years ago. However, we observed that some obstacles pointed out in previous surveys already show signs of overcoming. For example, the issue of low wages and the devaluation of the teaching profession for men at this stage of education. Regarding the perspectives on the presence of men in early childhood teaching. Our observations showed three different points of view: 1) Perspectives linked to an expectation of change in the political context of the Brazilian government, both in the general scope and in the scope of educational public policies. 2) Perspective of better days, in which people are opening to new social configurations, specifically to a re-signification of the sexual division of labor. 3) Perspective credited to social networks. Providing relationships that serve as inspiration, motivation, and support for new male teachers. In which these social networks converge in a potential producer of engagements. We showed that even with different points of view, all participants believe in a better scenario, where more men will join the teaching profession of Early Childhood Education.